The Passion of Jeanne d\' Arc

the Passion of Jeanne d' Arc is a film carried out by Carl Theodor Dreyer in 1927 and projected for the first time at Copenhagen on April 21st 1928. It is about a silent film but which intialement had been intialement designed like a talking film, it with what Dreyer had to give up for reasons related to the technical equipment of the studio. From where the disconcerting aspect of this film, which adopts already the codes of speaking while remaining a silent film.

The restoration of the version of origin holds almost of the miracle, since the first negative one had undergone cuts required by the censure, then had been lost in a fire. Dreyer had then succeeded in reconstituting of it one second version starting from remaining falls, which was it also to however disappear in another fire. It did not remain any more whereas doubtful copies, and it is only in 1981 that one found in a psychiatric asylum of Oslo a double forgotten of the first negative one, not censured, from which it was possible to reconstitute film and the subtitles in a version probably identical to that assembled by the scenario writer for the first of 1928.

Dreyer chooses here to not center its matter on the wars carried out by Jeanne d' Arc, nor even on its execution, but on the lawsuit which was to lead to it. Within this very tightened framework, it puts in opposition what is read on the face of the Maid of Orleans with the grimaces of its indicters and torturers, opposition which is still accentuated by the realism of which made to proof the realizer to expose his chronicle of this event. It is not thus a question here of giving an account of an imposing destiny, but of showing which can be the force of the faith vis-a-vis the pressure of the institutions. The passion of Jeanne echoes obviously the Passion of Christ. As the Christ who had to face incomprehension, the hatred and the insults of the Pharisees, Jeanne must face incomprehension, humiliations and the hatred of the Church. But while showing a suffering and persecuted woman, Dreyer returns also as well to the figure of the Virgin as with the first Martyr are Church. Jeanne is in a state of grace and wishes to remain there: like several characters of Dreyer, it made the great jump in the absurdity and could be included/understood only by those which will have carried out themselves such a conversion. The final scene of died of Jeanne seems an apotheosis.

One will raise the very noticed appearance of Antonin Artaud in the role of Jean Massieu.

Data sheet

Distribution

Reference

  • Charles Tesson, “Jeanne d' Arc saved of the flames”, Books of the Cinema , n° 366, page X, December 1984.

Random links:Charles Kuentz | Henri Arnault de Zwolle | Joseph Mazzello | Amy Weber | Quebec investment | L'anarchie